The Division of Early Childhood Development (DECD) publishes a variety of print and online reports and other documents concerning early care and education and school readiness.These publications are intended for early care and education professionals, parents, public policy-makers, researchers, and the general public.

DECD Operational Data and Reports – The DECD website page that presents various data sets, statistical analyses, and other information about early care and education programs in Maryland.

NEW!2014-2015 School Readiness Report.Each year, MSDE publishes the report "Children Entering School Ready to Learn," which provides information about the school readiness skills of Maryland kindergarteners during the current year.School Readiness Reports from previous years can also be accessed through this link.

NEW!As part of the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge grant, MSDE has revised its workforce competency framework for child care professionals and developed a new one to update the workforce on best practices and effective early learning strategies. The Maryland Knowledge and Competency Framework for Child and Youth Care Professionals will be the new guidance for early childhood educators, including those working in licensed child care programs and school age care.

NEW!Social Impact Bonds in Maryland - A report for the Maryland General Assembly, House Appropriations Committee. A Social Impact Bond (SIB) is an innovative financing mechanism that brings together public and private agencies and funders to create incentives for providers to achieve better outcomes at lower costs.

NEW!Click herefor Best Practices to Engage Parents and Guardians in Early Education Programs and Services, a report developed under the Pre-K Expansion Act of 2014 to identify best practices to promote family engagement in early education programs and services.

NEW!Click herefor the The Harvard Family Research Article, which examines the work of the Family Engagement Coalition in developing the Family Engagement Framework and discusses Maryland's services and outreach strategies which support the Framework.

Click herefor the 2014 Annual Report on the Judith P. Hoyer Early Care and Education Enhancement Program, which is a statewide effort to help young children enter school ready to learn.

PARTNERS – DECD's quarterly newsletter to the licensed child care community and early care and education agencies.Previous editions of Partners, as well as the current edition, are accessed through this link.

Click here for the Preschool for All Grant Report, which provides a summary of the thirteen "Preschool for All" pilot sites throughout Maryland.

Click here for Barriers to Quality Child Care and Out of School Time Activities in Maryland, a November 2012 report by the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council.

Click here for a report on Early Care and Education Experiences for Children of Hispanic Origin in Maryland.

Click here for information on how Maryland’s Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant supports children and families of Hispanic origin and children learning English.

Click here for an Executive Summary of MSDE's application for funding under the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant competition.

Click here for an analysis of the influence of Judy Center services on the Maryland Model for School Readiness (MMSR) kindergarten assessment outcomes.

Click here to read "A look at Maryland's Early Childhood Data System," a case study published by the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Data Quality Campaign.

Click here to read "Maryland as a Nation," a 2009 MSDE study comparing Maryland's early care and education system with the systems of certain European and non-European industrialized countries.

Preschool forAll in Maryland - Recommendations of the Task Force on Universal Preschool Education. For a cost-benefit analysis of the recommendations, click here. To read the proposed business plan for Preschool for All in Maryland, click here.

Achieving SchoolReadiness: A 5-Year Action Agenda.This October 2002 report to the Subcabinet for Children, Youth, and Families by Maryland’s Leadership in Action Program details the goals, strategies and action steps identified as most critical for ensuring that all Maryland children are fully ready for school.